Displacement chromatography has attracted significant attention as a powerful technique for the purification of biotherapeutic proteins and oligonucleotides. In particular, low molecular weight (MW<2000) displacers have been shown to have significant advantages for high-resolution protein purification. Displacement chromatography enables simultaneous concentration and purification in a single step, which is significant in the purification of biopharmaceuticals. However, the major obstacle in implementing this technique is the lack of a sufficient diversity of appropriate displacer candidates that are applicable across a wide spectrum of bioseparation demands. Low molecular weight displacers employed to date possess moderate to high affinities, yet are unable to displace highly retained proteins on a variety of hydrophilic and hydrophobic resins. Thus, a need exists to develop high affinity and selective displacers that overcome at least one of the aforementioned deficiencies.